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If I had a card that said something like, "Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 for every creature in your graveyard". Would that also apply to tokens which died in previous turns? Also if I play a card which says, return target creature from the graveyard then can I choose a token?

Right now I use Dice to represent tokens, but not sure what to do once any of my tokens die.

Also for cards which say sacrifice a creature or exile a creature, would these apply to tokens?

4 Answers
4

If I had a card that said something like, "Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 for every creature in your graveyard".

There cannot be such a card.

Since "creature" means "creature permanent" which means "creature card or token on the battlefield", and since a card or token cannot be in the graveyard and on the battlefield at the same time, the enchantment would never affect the attached object's power and toughness.

The ability would likely read "Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 for each creature card in your graveyard" like Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord's, which means it wouldn't count any tokens since tokens aren't cards.

But let's assume there's a card that has the ability "Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 for each creature card and each creature token in your graveyard".

Would that also apply to tokens which died in previous turns?

Tokens go to the graveyard just like a card would. However, they only stay there for a very short period of time. The next time State-Based Actions (SBAs) are performed, they will cease to exist. This happens immediately after the spell or ability that placed them in the graveyard finishes resolving.

Tokens placed in the graveyard on a previous turn will have ceased to exist long ago.

In fact, it wouldn't even see the tokens that died this turn except for an extremely short (and practically useless) period of time. It could matter if your opponent has Hidden Predators, but that's about it.

if I play a card which says, return target creature from the graveyard then can I choose a token?

There cannot be such a card.

Again, creatures (aka creature permanents) cannot be found in the graveyard. It would be impossible to pick a legal target.

The effect would read something like "Return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield". This excludes tokens since they aren't cards.

You will never find "Return target creature card or token from your graveyard to the battlefield." for two reasons:

Even if there was a token was in the graveyard when targets were chosen, it would have ceased to exists by the time the spell or ability resolved.

A rule prohibits the tokens from changing zones once they've left the battlefield.

110.5g A token that has left the battlefield can’t move to another zone or come back onto the battlefield. If such a token would change zones, it remains in its current zone instead. It ceases to exist the next time state-based actions are checked; see rule 704.

Right now I use Dice to represent tokens,

A poor (and illegal) choice since dice cannot be tapped.

but not sure what to do once any of my tokens die.

Your tokens would move the graveyard, and soon after they will cease to exist. Most people don't bother physically moving them to the graveyard.

cards which say sacrifice a creature or exile a creature, would these apply to tokens?

Note that there isn't any card that reads "for every creature in your graveyard". That wouldn't make sense, since creatures only exists on the battlefield. Outside of the battlefield, they are creature cards or spells. So it would read "for every creature card in your graveyard". And because tokens are not cards, Hidden Predators would never trigger becase of that ability.
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PabloSep 1 '13 at 14:39

I use dice for tokens; I think it works just fine. For casual play, at least. When you have a bunch of the same type of token on the battlefield, that's an easy way to deal with it. It's generally easy enough to track if you tap some of them. Again, for casual, not tournament play.
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GendoIkariSep 3 '13 at 13:31

Once a creature token "dies", it goes to the graveyard and then ceases to exist. (Some one can came along and quote the Expanded Rules.)

Creature tokens still count as going to the graveyard (for the purposes of cards that say "If a creature died..." or "Put a +1/+1 counter on this creature every time a creature dies."), but they are NEVER considered to be in the graveyard. Therefore, they won't count for the enchantment you mentioned, they can't be reanimated, etc.

Creature tokens count as creatures in every way; You can sacrifice and exile them to pay costs normally.

Technically there is a brief moment where they get the +1/+1, but it is too short a window to matter except for weird situations. Added an answer with an example, but yours is correct 99.9% of the time. (I just like weird conditions)
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GuvanteAug 29 '13 at 23:02

Tokens aren't exiled when they go to the graveyard; they cease to exist completely. See rule 110.5f: "A token that's phased out, or that's in a zone other than the battlefield, ceases to exist."
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jwodderAug 30 '13 at 3:02

Updated the answer to include the information mentioned by the comments. Thanks guys!
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DiscordAug 30 '13 at 4:57

2

Re "but they are NEVER considered to be in the graveyard." NOT TRUE. They will be in the graveyard from the time they are placed there until the next time SBAs are performed. Therefore, they WILL count towards the enchantment, if only for a very short will. This can matter for [mtg]Hidden Predators[/mtg]
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ikegamiAug 30 '13 at 15:30

If you look really hard you can find instances where it matters, but in general you can think of tokens as just ceasing to exist once they leave the battlefield (while triggering just as if they were a card, i.e. activating morbid when going to the graveyard).

So to answer your questions:

Would that also apply to tokens which died in previous turns? - Nope, they ceased to exist

Also if I play a card which says, return target creature from the graveyard then can I choose a token? - Nope, they cease to exist before you have the opportunity to do anything

Right now I use Dice to represent tokens, but not sure what to do once any of my tokens die. - You are fine, just pay attention and see if anything cares about the token going to the graveyard (outside of odd cases like below nothing sees a token in the graveyard). So in your +1/+1 instance you would not get +1/+1.

To go into details, here is comprehensive rule 110.5f.

110.5f A token that’s phased out, or that’s in a zone other than the battlefield, ceases to exist. This
is a state-based action; see rule 704. (Note that if a token changes zones, applicable triggered
abilities will trigger before the token ceases to exist.)

There is technically a brief period where the token is in the graveyard (before state-based effects are checked). However no one can do anything during that time.

If you have a weird effect like Hidden Predators in play the distinction could matter. Also note that while Hidden Predators has an intervening if clause only the if is checked on resolution, not the original trigger condition.

To clarify again however, there is never a point in time where you can take any action and a token exists in the graveyard. This is typically simplified to tokens never exist in the graveyard they only enter it, that is close enough for all but the most odd ball cases.

Also it is important to note the other odd rule with tokens, they get stuck once they go somewhere, this happens when something like Cloudshift plays tricks without waiting.

110.5g A token that has left the battlefield can’t move to another zone or come back onto the
battlefield. If such a token would change zones, it remains in its current zone instead. It ceases
to exist the next time state-based actions are checked; see rule 704.

another odd-ball corner case involving Tokens ceasing to exist is Withdraw and a token copy of Simian Spirit Guide. If the first targeted creature is SSG, then the token can be exiled from your hand to pay {1} mana to prevent the second creature from being bounced (all before state-based effects are checked and the token ceases to exist).
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user1873Aug 30 '13 at 1:17

@user1873: No, 110.5g says that the token can't be exiled from your hand, so you can't use it to pay {1}.
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jwodderAug 30 '13 at 3:06

@jwodder, they must have updated the rules to take that loophole into account. I do believe that it worked at one point.
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user1873Aug 30 '13 at 4:22

2

A creature that gets +1/+1 for each creature card in the graveyard won't work with tokens, even for a brief moment, because tokens are not cards. So it wouldn't even work with something like Hidden Predators.
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PabloAug 30 '13 at 8:29

2

Re "To clarify again however, there is never a point in time where you can take any action and a token exists in the graveyard." This is not true. If an effect has two effects, the first of which sends a token to a graveyard, the second will be performed with the token in the graveyard. SBAs are not performed until after the spell or ability finishes resolving.
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ikegamiAug 30 '13 at 15:34

Tokens don't go the graveyard, (or any other zone when they leave the battlefield):

110.5g A token that has left the battlefield can’t move to another zone or come back onto the
battlefield. If such a token would change zones, it remains in its current zone instead. It ceases
to exist the next time state-based actions are checked; see rule 704.

You can sacrifice tokens and exile them as well (except they wouldn't go to the exile zone either, they would just cease to exist)

EDIT:

I believe the other answers are correct, I misinterpreted the 115.5g rule which only applies to tokens that have left the battlefield, which would only be possible if they are in another zone already, e.g. the graveyard.

You may want to reference rule 110.5f also because if you look at g without f you may think that they don't trigger abuilities.
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Pow-IanAug 29 '13 at 20:53

5

They do go to the graveyard, they just immediately disappear once they get there. The rule says "a token that has left the battlefield" - when it dies, it goes to the graveyard and then it's left the battlefield and can't go anywhere else, and immediately thereafter is removed as a state-based action.
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JefromiAug 29 '13 at 21:44

115.5g actually proves the opposite of what you say. The only way it could have left the battlefield and still exist is if it moved to another zone.
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ikegamiAug 30 '13 at 15:36

@Jefromi, not quite immediately, but rather the next time SBAs are performed.
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ikegamiAug 30 '13 at 15:37

exactly why I said 110.5f should also be included, because it makes that distinction.
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Pow-IanAug 30 '13 at 15:45